Crucial Reading: Cam'ron and the Brilliance of "No Homo"

“During his heyday, rapper Cam’ron dressed like the wife of a Russian oligarch. His lyrics were equally flamboyant: he made up cutesy little words (‘that rooty, tooty, fruity, louie, what I usually do’-Crunk Muzik) and broke into french when complimenting his fellow crew-members (‘Jim Jones c’est c’est bon, Santana magnifique’-I’m Ready). It didn’t take long for rumors to abound that Cam’ron and his Diplomats were a gang of homosexuals…. But what could he do? He could hardly issue heterosexual clarifications after every suspicious statement. Or could he? His eureka moment came in a bubble bath. ‘No homo!’ he cried triumphantly, drowning out (diagetic) orchestral music. It was so short, so wieldy, so catchy, so musical. ‘No homo’ left no room for misunderstanding.”–A short and important history of “no homo.”